This American Life is a weekly public radio show broadcast on more than 500 stations to about 1.8 million listeners. It is produced by Chicago Public Media, distributed by Public Radio International, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards. It is also often the most popular podcast in the country, with around 850,000 people downloading each week.

Julia Kumari Drapkin

Drapkin tells the story of Colorado’s State Climatologist, Nolan Doesken. Doesken has long believed the humans are driving climate change, but never connected it to his own life. Even after several years of some of the most devastating weather his state has ever seen, Nolan considered climate change a worry for the future. Then, last year, he watched as his state experienced some of the most extreme weather it ever has. For the first time, Nolan felt like he was looking at what the future would be like where he lives. He felt scared. Julia tells the story of how this has all changed Nolan, and changed what he’s saying to the people of his home state.

Julia is the lead producer of iSeeChange at station KVNF, funded by Localore, AIR and CPB. The online almanac she created, thealmanac.org, is a place for the community, scientists, journalists, public resource managers and YOU to post observations about the environment. Submit your stories, images and more.

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About a month ago on thealmanac.org, Don posted a photo of a fellow with a big semi-load of bales – but they weren’t hay, they were cornstalks. The use of forage other than the traditional alfalfa and other grasses is becoming a necessity for some ranchers.

Drought has made it more common now, but Judd Rodman has been harvesting cornstalks for cattle feed as far back as 1990. Based south of Paonia, he employs five people who help him harvest, bale and deliver cornstalk all over the Western Slope.

The iSeeChange project and its website, thealmanac.org, are now featured in a beautiful new metasite produced by AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio. Our very own Julia Kumari Drapkin (we'll always call her "ours") will be presenting the iSeeChange project she developed in the North Fork Valley to various media interest groups across the country in the weeks to come.